-
Target Test Prep 20% Off Flash Sale is on! Code: FLASH20
Redeem
Choose Safety Schools for Your MBA Applications Carefully
Landing a seat at a top MBA program isnt a slam-dunk for anybody. Its getting increasingly competitive to get into the highest-ranked schools.
The termsafety school gets thrown around quite a bit in MBA admissions, andits important for applicants to have a clear understanding of what that term means before they start the school selection process.
The rule when coming up with a list of businessschools is that you must feel genuine enthusiasm about attending each and every one of them, regardless of whether they are dream schools or programs you might consider a safer bet. If you would feel disappointed rather than ecstatic about advancing your career by attending a school, then do not apply. Thats a waste of everyone's time and your money.
[Consider the benefits of looking beyond the top-ranked business schools.]
A good way to determine whether your list should include one or more safety schools is by asking yourself how important it is for you to go to business school next year. If the need is immediate, then definitely include a range of schools of varying degrees of competitiveness. The application pool fluctuates each year, and all you need is one admit, so spread some risk around.
However, if youve zeroed in on a handful of highly competitive programs that you strongly feel are the best choices for advancing your professional goals, and you have some flexibility with the timing, it would be better to focus your energies on the GMAT and elevating your profile in line with your target programs characteristics.
If you dont get in the first time, you can learn from your weak points and reapply in the next application cycle.
A safety school doesnt mean youd be guaranteed an offer of admission, though. It merely means your chances are far greater than at a program with an acceptance rate of 15 percent or lower.
[Here are some tips to narrow down your b-school application list.]
So, in order todecide what qualifies as a safety school for you, start with the hard data points. As a general guideline, take a look at programs you like where your profile falls within the top 10 percent of admitted students.
Compare your undergraduate GPA, GMAT score, years of work experience and particular industry with those of accepted applicants reported by the school in their class profile page. If your industry is underrepresented, consider that an advantage for your application.
Everyone has different reasons for applying to business school. Your main focus may be on networking prospects, the educational experience, geographic location, culture, special programmingor evenfamily tradition. If youre excited about any of those elements at a schooland would be happy to attend for any of those reasons, then consider it, even if its a safe choice.
I had a client who applied to both University ofCaliforniaLosAngeles Anderson School of Management and Stanford University'sGraduate School of Business. Of the two, Stanford is obviously the more competitive "reach"school, but my client was from Los Angeles and would have been happy to go to Anderson, thus making it a great selection for a safety school.
[Fight the fear of failure when applying to MBA programs.]
Ultimately, he did get into Stanford and chose that school over the fullscholarship offer he received from UCLA.
Another client faced the difficult decision of remaining on the waitlist at theUniversity ofCaliforniaBerkeley Haas School of Business, his dream choice, or accepting an offer of admission from theUniversity ofTexasAustinMcCombs School of Business, his safety school and one he would be thrilled to attend.
When the waitlist purgatory continued into summer, even after hed submitted a deposit to hold his place at McCombs, he finally decided to withdraw from the Haas wait list and commit to a sure thing. He was increasingly happy with McCombs as he met his future classmates and weighed the significant financial benefits of in-state tuition.
If you do apply to a range of schools, make sure each is a good fit and that your excitement, level of research and passion for the program comes through in your application regardless of whether it's a safety school or not. The folks in the admissions committee have typicallybeen at it long enough and can tell when an applicant has lukewarm feelings for themand thats the surest way your safe bet will become a bust.
This post originally appeared on Stacys Strictly Business MBA Blog on U.S.News.com.
***
If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.
Recent Articles
Archive
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009